ENTERTAINMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1072, 10 March 1911, Page 7

ENTERTAINMENTS.

THEATRE ROYAL. Every night thin week the artists now appearing »t the Theatre Royal have been drawing good houses, and again last evening tlifc auditorium was well tilled. Ali=s Aland Fanning is, of course, a firm favourite, and the same enu lie said of George Jones and Hiss Ettie William.?. The last two nights of Hassan, the Indian magician, are auiKiuiieed. To-night and to-morrow evening will be the last opportunity afforded'the public of witnessing one of the best programmes that have been teen at the Theatre Royal lor some time. A change takes place on Monday.

. HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. "Two thousand specimens of live fauna arrive in a day" is the rather startling sub-announcement on the first sheet of a picture displayed at His Majesty's Theatre last evening." There they arc, too, in eases, crates, and great cages, being landed from a. heavy freight train at Rome. The occasion is the stocking of new Royal Zoological Gardens in the ancient city beside the Tiber. This is certainly a most unique incident, and the picture is crammed with interest from start to finish. Attendants aro shown liberating elephants, crocodiles, brown, bears, a rhinoceros, boa constrictors, etc., in well-appointed quarters. One of the" most interesting features is the liberation of the water birds —swans, flamingoes, ducks, storks, etc. Their eager rush to the water after long confinement is the most exhilarating spectacle imaginable. An extraordinary "nature study" is a- magnified representation of half-a-dozen kinds of caterpillars, enlarged to such a size that they appear as huge crawling monsters, with formidable horns, teeth, spiked backs, and grot-esquely-jointed trunks, which are propelled by muscular contraction. One of the best scenic pictures exhibited for seme timo is that showing the waterfalls' of Sarpsborg, in Norway. These aro a chain of waterfalls, which take every conceivable form, from a mad torrent threshed into gleaming foam in its rush over a ravine of black rocks, to the most delicate lace-like "bridal veil," streaming in an airy film over a rock face, and breaking away again at the foot in a thousand pretty cascades. "Dido Forsaken by Aeneas," reverts to the classical. Aeneas, the Trojan, becomes wrecked on the African coast, and, with his men, is captured by Dido's amazons. Queen Dido is immediately smitten with love on beholding Aeneas, and tho latter yields for a time to Cupid's call, until roused to duty by a vision, he escapes by sea, and Dido, whose lovo affairs.have marred .her statesmanship, perishes in the flames of her own palace, fired by her own command as a climax to the revolt of her people. "Cloud amVTce Field" transports one to tho "roof of the world," high up in the Italian Alps—a magnificent film, of great interest. Other good pictures are "Scenes in Vienna," "Fatima," "Romance of Lazy X," "The Exercises of the Don Cossacks," and "The Warwick Chronicle."

. KING'S THEATRE. Several new pictures were introduced into the programme at the King's Theatre last evening. An exceptionally good comic picture is entitled "Two Had Boxers," a pair of idiots who, having interfered in a genuine boxing contest, get to words and blows, and finally decide to tight it out. Knowing nothing of the "noble art," they commence boxing under go-us-vou-plenso rules in the most comical fashion, but are interfered with continually, but always manage to arrive exhausted at some iiew location, to resume their antics, until so fagged that one picks up the other's face in his hands and punches it weakly. . .Finally they light to a finish on a raft, both fall in, and continue the contest in the water until they sink beneath the wave. A very beautiful col-, onred Path? relates the Biblical itory. of Ruth and Boaz. Ruth is shown leaving the land of Moab for Bethlehem, and there is depicted seeking subsistence in .the cornfield of Boaz. On thanking the latter for the help: lie has alfovded her, Boaz ,is struck witli Kuth's comely ap''p'ja'i'a'hcern'ml takes her to owife.v ".The Little Prospector," the title of a western mining picture, is a half-crazed old miner's daughter. After months of resultless labour, the man finds rich gold-bear-ing stone, arid is so excited that he carries it off to the store to show, it to a croup of miners. They worm out of him the location of his find, and make off to peg out the claim. They reckon .without the daughter and lior cowboy friend, who having heard of the old man's stupidity, race for the claim, and are just in time to get a "drop" on the boys, and peg the claim while their hands aro up. "Her Sister-in-Law" is a clever "A.B.".picture, strongly domestic in character. Other new pictures.are "Aericultnro in Tunis," "Gratitude," and "Her Parrot." The 'usual prize matinee will take place tomorrow afternoon. ■

GARRISON BAND ART UNION. Last night the Concert Chamber of the Town Hall was occupied by the Garrison Band and a, number of their supporters. It was the occasion of the drawing; of the art union which was held for the purpose of raisins money for the instrument fund. Trior to the drawing,' the band, under the conductorship of Lieut. Herd, rendered three selections. A peculiar circumstance happened' during- the drawing. The eleventh prize was drawn first; and, strange to relate, the marble representing the first prize was the last to be taken from the box. The following are the results:—First prize, "number 10,395; second, 10,190 i third. 2SSI; fourth, 6557; fifth, 1561; sixth, 40.115; seventh, 1329; eighth, 2928; ninth. 5557; tenth, 10,307; eleventh, 2123; twelfth, 5520; thirteenth, 3328; fourteenth, 4103; fifteenth, 1007. The prizes may be had on application to Mr. H. Davis, secretary.

"SWEET' LAVENDER." Judging by the demand for seats, the Wellington Dramatic Society will be greeted by a full house when they produce Pinero's charming play. "Sweet Lavender" at the Opera House next Wednesday and Thursday. This is not surprising, when one considers that the net profits are to go to such a popular movement as the Boy Scouts. The Dresden Piano Company has consented to lend tho pianos necessary for the production, and on all sides tho Dramatic Society are meeting with assistance in* their undertaking. "Sweet- > Lavender" may bo described as a modern fairy talc, told in simple but, expressive language, showing tho sunshine and shadows of cvery-day life. Tho box plan will open this morning at the Dresden.

SUNDAY CONCERT. At the Town Hall on Sunday next the Wellington Professional Orchestra will inaugurate its 1911 season of Sunday evening concerts, and will perform for tho first time in Wellington Tschaikowsky's Oventuro SolenncUc, "1812." This overture is scored for full orchestra and brass band, and in order to give the work in its entirety the orchestra will be assisted by the Wellington Garrison Band. Other items on the programme are:—March, "Cornelius" (Mendelssohn); overture, "Raymond" (Thomas), and a sketch, "Trot de Cavallerie" (Rubinstein). Mr. Ernest Parkes (baritone) will contribute two item>. The concert will commence at 8.15 sharp.

MUNICIPAL ORCHESTRA. The initial performance of the present year by the Municipal Orchestra will bo given on Tuesday evening next in tho Town Hall. The programme consists of tho well-known "Wedding March" (Mendelssohn), "Overture" (Schubert), "Andante and Minuet" from Haydn's "Surprise" Symphony, and the popular "Flower Valsc" from tho Nutcracker Suite (Tschaikowski). A violin solo "Andante" (Ries) with orchestral accompaniment will be rendered by Mr. Herbert Bloy, the orchestra leader. Popular prices of admission are being charged.